Zoe Monroe
Halloween is the perfect time for uncovering spooky novels of the past, each one as gruesome and twisted as the other. Whether you are looking for a quick read depicting the horrors of the human mind or something bordering the lines between the mythical and the supernatural, you are bound to find something to enjoy in Zoe Monroe’s curated list below.
Rosemary’s Baby – Ira Levin
Ira Levin’s satanic hit novel of the sixties follows newlyweds, Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse, in their move to a mysterious New York apartment complex that contains a rather rich and harrowing history of unusual deaths. Here, they meet neighbours Minnie and Roman Castavet, a peculiar pair who insist on aiding Rosemary with her pregnancy through the gift of strange-smelling pendants, homemade remedies and an unfamiliar obstetrician, Dr Sapirstein. Surrounded by spooky, obtrusive characters and a baby on the way, Rosemary finds herself feeling isolated and unsure of who to trust as her world turns upside down, eventually being driven to madness in this sickening display of deception and devilry that still acts as a blueprint for horror material today.
The Haunting of Hill House – Shirley Jackson
Horror icon of the twentieth century, Shirley Jackson, bewilders her readers with a maddening tale about the titular Hill House and the four characters that reside there over the summer. After reading about the famed house, Dr John Montague conducts a series of paranormal studies with his three ‘paranormally sensitive’ guests: Eleanor, a timid and abnormal girl searching for adventure, Theodora a quick-witted woman with spiritual abilities, and Luke, the flirty heir of Hill House. Together, the characters explore the grounds of Hill House and begin to connect with one another. All the while, the house warps Eleanor’s mind and along with it, the reliability of the narration. If you are looking for a quick, spine-chilling novel that you just can’t put down, this is the perfect choice for you.
Psycho – Robert Bloch
The cinematic world of horror hit an all-time high after Alfred Hitchcock truthfully adapted Robert Bloch’s renowned novel Psycho into one of the most referenced films in Hollywood history. The book is just as legendary as it allows the reader to gain deeper insight into the insanity-riddled mind of Norman Bates, a psychotic, mentally divided man who struggles with self-identity and shares a traumatic bond with his cruel and over-controlling mother. Bloch manoeuvres around Norman’s eerie condition with expert knowledge and a well-crafted writing style that makes the reader second-guess everything.
The Woman in Black – Susan Hill
Claimed to be the West End’s scariest play for an ominously long span of three decades, The Woman in Black has an even more thrill-seeking novel that predates its theatrical adaptation. Our protagonist, Arthur Kipps, travels to the eerie town of Crythin Gifford to settle the finances of the deceased owner of Eel Marsh House. Through many sleepless nights and ghostly experiences, Arthur discovers that something sinister lives on in Eel Marsh House and it wants only vengeance. It will stop at nothing to bring death to the residents of Crythin Gifford. Accompanied by its beautiful imagery and suspenseful pacing, this novel is a classic if you want to immerse yourself in the horror side of literature.
Interview with the Vampire – Anne Rice
From Dracula to Twilight, the world of gothic horror offers plenty of lore on vampires, but nobody does blood-sucking creatures of the night better than Anne Rice as she thrusts us into her homoerotic, vampiric universe spanning 13 gruesome volumes. Her first novel, published in 1976, recounts the history of vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac and his golden-haired maker, Lestat de Lioncourt, as they live together in 1920s New Orleans with their youthful yet erratic daughter, Claudia. Rice’s divine descriptions of desire, passion and morality are completely addictive; it is no surprise that this hit franchise was both developed into a movie and a television series.
arguably one of [King’s] most traumatic and disturbing plots to ever see the light of day.
Pet Sematary – Stephen King
Stephen King’s 14th novel, Pet Sematary, is arguably one of his most traumatic and disturbing plots to ever see the light of day. It details the experience of Louis Creed as he moves his family of four to a new house which is sandwiched between both a busy highway and a deep area of woodland. After the death of their beloved family cat Winston Churchill, Louis discovers an ancient burial ground deep in the woods that was once used by the Mi’kmaq tribe and with the help of his wise neighbour Jud, decides to bury Churchill there. The plot becomes extra spooky when Churchill appears, alive again, albeit something is very different. The backbone of King’s novel plays on the one nightmare that every father fears: the loss of a child. King put his own fears into the novel as he says that Louis’ character was based on his own experiences of when King raised his son Owen beside a busy highway. In fact, he locked Pet Sematary away for years before publishing, as he believed the book to be ‘too dark’, having unlocked something ‘too real’. The book’s chilling message is unforgettable: what is dead should stay dead.
‘The Landlady’ – Roald Dahl
An honorary mention for the spooky books category is Roald Dahl’s short story ‘The Landlady’. This text widely differentiates from Dahl’s usual silly, childish novels and instead takes a darker path toward exploring the danger of trusting strangers. Whilst journeying to Bath, a young Billy Weaver stumbles across a homely-looking bed and breakfast owned by a creepy landlady who holds an affinity for taxidermy. Will he ever come out?
Zoe Monroe
Featured image courtesy of Jean Vella via Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.
In article image 1 courtesy of Daniel Tseng via Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.
In article image 2 courtesy of PaaZ PG via Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.
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